5 Celebrities Who Are Turning Abusive Experiences Into Activism
Domestic abuse is an incredibly common issue. It might even surprise you how many people you know who have experienced it. Here are 5 celebrities who have experiences with domestic abuse and coercive control, who are using their voice for domestic abuse activism.
Mel B
Mel B is an outspoken advocate for domestic abuse victims and survivors, having experienced domestic abuse herself. The Spice Girl and ex-America’s Got Talent judge is a patron of Women’s Aid, receiving an MBE for her work with the charity.
She has also called for judges to go through domestic abuse training in order to gain better understanding for abusive relationships in courtrooms. Speaking to Grazia, she said “My divorce proceedings took place in the US, but I’ve had terrible experiences in both American and British courts. I felt like the judges didn’t seem to take into account the fact that I had been through an abusive marriage. They made me feel like I was crazy for wanting to known what school my daughter is attending and told me I must ask for me ex-husband’s permission every time I take her on holiday. Because of this, every day still feels like I’m stuck in a cycle of abuse.”
She has since openly discussed moving back to the UK from Los Angeles to live with her mum after separating from her ex-husband, after experiencing financial abuse. Talking to the BBC, she said “I’m the voice of all the other survivors out there that don’t have a voice, that can’t be heard, that can’t get their point across.”
Sarah Hyland
Sarah Hyland, known for playing Hayley Dunphy on Modern Family, has used her voice to spread awareness of how animals can be used in abusive relationships. She has talked about rely on her dog during own experience in an abusive relationship, for which she got a restraining order to protect her and her dog. Speaking to Variety, she said “Animals can be used as a manipulation and used as tactic as well. Their lives are then, therefore, put on the line [to] try to hurt someone through an animal”.
She is an advocate for Purina’s Purple Leash Program in the US, which provides support to domestic abuse refuges to keep pets and survivors together. “We have to keep talking about it. It’s really important to be able to help those in need.”
Jordan Stephens
Best known for being one half of the duo Rizzle Kicks, Jordan Stephens has been open about his own coercive and neglectful behaviours with past relationships. He says that the #MeToo campaign made him realise patterns in his own behaviour and made him confront some uncomfortable truths. Speaking to The Independent, Stephens said “I think accountability is basically really important and for me personally, I needed to face some really harsh truths in order to move past them, which is painful and uncomfortable.”
He now uses his experiences to discuss domestic abuse with other men, encouraging them to reflect on their own coercive behaviours and rewire their misogynistic beliefs about women and themselves. “It’s our responsibility as we become adults to acknowledge this pain and gain compassion for ourselves and acceptance of others. When the patriarchy says that it’s OK to grab a woman’s ass, or tell her what to do […] and you accept this as a way of treating another human being- you deny yourself the opportunity to understand why you desired that comfort of power in the first place.”
Kerry Washington
Actress Kerry Washington, known for Scandal and Little Fires Everywhere, works with the Allstate Foundation in the US to support women in leaving abusive relationships to be financially independent and safe. The Allstate Foundation has invested over $90 million since 2005 to give survivors the right tools to gain financial freedom.
Kerry Washington has said “We all wither have experienced [domestic violence] or know someone who has experienced it. It’s why we all have to be part of the solution.”
Patrick Stewart
Patrick Stewart is an ambassador for Refuge, a UK domestic abuse charity that supports domestic abuse victims and survivors. The actor, best known for Star Trek and X-Men, has talked openly about his experiences as a child with an abusive father. Talking to The Sunday Times, he explained his father would “drink at the weekends, get angry and hit my mother. I would put my body between them to protect her. Sometimes we’d have to call an ambulance or the police. We asked her to leave him, but she wouldn’t- she adored him”.
He explains his advocacy on the Refuge website: “The truth is, domestic violence is protected by silence. More women and children, just like my mother and me, will continue to experience abuse unless we all speak out against it.”
Awareness Matters is a training organisation offering trauma-informed programmes, trainings, and workshops on abuse-related issues, including intimate partner violence, teenage relationship abuse, and child to parent violence. Interested in hearing more about our work? Click to see our trainings below or continue to explore the website!